1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and
then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-36 Service
Fuel Fuels
in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Engine Cover
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transmission Fluid
All-Wheel Drive Rear Axle
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes Battery
Bulb Replacement Halogen Bulbs 6-42
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6-68 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning
the Inside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside
of the Windshield,
Backglass and Wiper Blades
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Tires Finish Damage Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your GM dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to be happy with
it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
n
w
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper GM Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in
the Index. Your
vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep
a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
You can be injured and
your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to
do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metrid’
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your GM dealer before adding equipment
to the outside
of your vehicle.
J
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
At a minimum, it should meet specifications ASTM
D48 14
in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada.
Improved gasoline specifications have been developed by
the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance and engine
protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification
could provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane
is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry if
you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it is designed to operate
on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels are
not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to your
authorized GM dealer for diagnosis to determine the
cause
of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug
life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected.
The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn
on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming
in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should
not have to add
anything
to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and reformulated
gasolines may be available in your area to help clean the
air. General Motors recommends that you use these
gasolines
if they comply with the specifications
described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it.
It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH
8P7
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling Your Tank
The fuel cap is behind a hinged door on the driver’s side
of your vehicle.
A CAUTION:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you
if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly.
This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
While refueling, place the cap in the holder on the fuel
filler door.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Vehicle” in the Index.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it;
if you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until
you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type,
it may not fit properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light
and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
Checking Things Under the Hoc4
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Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You
or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
6-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hood Release
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